Means for maintaining stability of rock drill by rearward bracing anchorage

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an extensible anchoring structure rigidly supported between two opposing walls of a mine stope, or drift or tunnel, whereby the rearward portion of a rock drill (the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;jack leg&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;) may be braced in fixed position to assure firm attack of the drill upon the face of the rock wall.

United States Patent 1191 Hunter l Sept. 10, 1974 MEANS FOR MAINTAINING STABILITY OF [52] US. Cl. 248/13, 173/36, 248/354 H ROCK DRILL BY REARWARD BRACING [51] Int. Cl...... E21c 5/11, FlSb ll/08, E2lc 11/00 ANCHORAGE M 323712? 5331' 31 5Zs%sl 1a ia [75] Inventor: Roland L. Hunter, Meridian, Idaho B6 [731 Assignees: Mel Barrett; Milt Olson; Joe Fumes; 5 References Cited Frank Michial" Richard Hunter Don Fredricks; Boyde Holfmok; UNITED STATES PATENTS Shel-m Walkley; Ed Samuels; Jones et al. Byrnes n of Salmon; Dick 776,88l 12/1904 Ambrose 248/357 X Durham both of osbum; Ross i'ifi'lfil 3/33; 3315?;11111111111111:iiiiiiifffiil/iif Mumy Pocatelk); steve.clyer 1:922:401 8/1933 Scott 173/36 x Star; James Hunter Mendan; 2,602,638 7/1952 Slater 248/354 H x Chester Hunter, Caldwell, all of, 3,125,172 3/1964 Tilden 173/36 x Indonesia; Carley Jeffs; Dale Taylor, both of Clearfield; Gene f Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Layton, all of, Utah part interest to each; Dock & Dock Arlington, Va. a part interest [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to an extensible anchoring [22] Flled May 1973 structure rigidly supported between two opposing [21] Appl. No.: 364,093 walls of a mine stope, or drift or tunnel, whereby the rearward portion of a rock drill (the jack leg) may Related Apphcatlon Data be braced in fixed position to assure firm attack of the [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 699,739, Jan. 22,

1968, abandoned.

drill upon the face of the rock wall.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB SEP] 01974 MEANS FOR MAINTAINING STABILITY OF ROCK DRILL BY REARWARD BRACING ANCHORAGE This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 699,739 filed Jan. 22, 1968, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a fixed and stable support structure for anchoring the rearward portion of a rock drill, which is referred to by miners as a jack leg so that the head of the drill may make strong and sustained contact with the face of a rock wall as in a mine stope or drift or tunnel. The stability of this structure is achieved by controlled longitudinal extension of the anchoring members thereof, and retraction of one of said members permits removal and relocation of the structure to another site.

It is reasonable to understand that a pneumatic drill boring into a rock wall requires greater thrust than advisable to be provided by the hands and arms of the operator of the drill. Heretofore, the jack leg has been maintained in stable anchorage an unreasonable amount of time by having one or more mine helpers stand on an anchoring member resting on the mine floor and retained in position when the drill is operating by the weight of the helper or helpers standing on it. Not only is this wasteful of manpower, but the anchorage thus achieved is less than fully secure.

This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 699,739 filed Jan. 22, 1968, now abandoned.

In this invention there is provided a structure extensible for rigid anchorage between two opposing rock walls of a mine stope, or a drift or a tunnel. A stope is a room excavated underground and having conventional top, bottom and side walls. The top, or ceiling, is sometimes called the hanging wall and the side walls are known to miners as the face walls. A stoper" is the rock drill equipment used to create a stope. A drift is a passageway driven on, or parallel to, the course of a vein or rock stratum.

The structure of this invention may have either one of two forms: (1) a frame having multiple legs and a cross-member for bracing the jack leg, and an upwardly directed piston-like member extensible from a'cylindrical housing within which it is partially accommodated so that the leading end thereof is brought into secure and sustained contact with the hanging wall of the stope to maintain the support tightly and securely between the opposing walls. Such extension may be achieved by compressed air forcing a piston partially out of a housing; or hydraulic or mechanical means may be employed. Inasmuch as compressed air is used for operating many of the pieces of equipment in a mine, compressed air is the preferred means for causing partial expulsion of the piston from within the housing to achieve rigid anchorage of the structure of this invention between two opposing rock faces.

(2) An alternative structure may comprise a housing and piston, and at the base of the housing a conical or pointed member which may be set into an indentation previously formed in the floor so that the member cannot slip; and at the opposite end, being the tip of the piston, another pointed member similarly emplaceable in an indentation in the opposing rock wall. With sufficient compression applied upon the piston at the end thereof within the housing to partially eject the piston and force the points of the piston and the base securely into their respective indentations in ceiling and floor,

the structure cannot be moved but forms a rigid anchorage for bracing the jack leg. Thus a single operator is able to proceed with drilling, with no helpers needed to brace the drill apparatus.

In the multi-legged frame base structure, the jack leg is braced against a stationary cross-member of the frame support and while the jack leg may be pivoted vertically through a brief arc, the range of movement is limited. No horizontal movement of the jack leg is possible because this would cause slippage of the jack leg base pin and prop legs on the cross-member of the frame. In the single column structure, by contrast, there is a full 360 of horizontal movement and a longer are of vertical movement of the jack leg. The omnidirectional range is achieved by use of an extension arm hingedly connected to a collar rotatably mounted on the housing. The hinge permits vertical movement of the jack leg; the rotatable collar permits movement of the jack leg in a complete circle around the column. Bracing of the jack leg against the column is accomplished by insertion of the rod, or base pin, at the rearward end of the jack leg, into a'socket integrally connected to a sleeve mounted on said extension arm. The sleeve and extension arm are provided with matable apertures which permit locking of the sleeve on the arm at selected longitudinal intervals, to extend or reduce the range of the jack leg. Thus the equipment permits a greater area for operation of the drill without the necessity of frequent relocation of the support structure.

Inasmuch as it provides omnidirectional movement of the drill apparatus, the single column structure is found to possess greater practical merit than the multilegged frame structure.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multilegged frame support structure of this invention, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the single column structure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the jack leg of a rock drill showing the base pin and a pair of divergent prop legs braced against a cross-member of the structure of FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 shows the rock drill braced against the single column support, having the base pin accommodated within the socket on the extension arm sleeve.

In FIG. 5, the extension arm is seen in position to be raised for inspection of the steel and bits in the drill head.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the multi-legged frame 10 supports, upon the transverse member 11 forming the top thereof, a cylindrical housing 12 in which there is accommodated piston 13. The base 14 of the frame is supported on legs 15, each of which may be disposed. in an indentation in the rock floor to prevent sidewise movement of the structure.

The rearward end 16 of the drill equipment, that is, the jack leg, is braced across bar 17 of the frame of the structure, and base pin 18 of the drill apparatus coacts with prop legs l9, 19 to retain the drill apparatus firmly braced against the structure.

The jack leg 16 leads to conventional drilling apparatus which is designated by the numeral 20 but which is not claimed as a part of this invention.

Compression, preferably pneumatic but alternatively hydraulic, is forced through hose 21 and control knob 22 permits desired pressure to be introduced into the housing 12 for partial and controlled expulsion of piston 13 from said housing 12, to cause the tip 23 of the piston to be brought into secure contact with the ceiling, or hanging wall, of the stope.

The structure of FIG. 2 shows a single column structure wherein like parts carry like numerals to the structure of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, housing 12 accommodates piston 13, the tip 23 of which provides secure engagement with the hanging wall of the stope. Base 25 of the housing provides secure emplacement of the column on the floor of the stope. Air (or hydraulic) hose 21 introduces compressed air (or fluid) into the housing through valve 22, to cause partial expulsion from housing 12 of piston 13, thus causing point 23 of the piston to be brought into secure contact with the ceiling, or hanging wall, of the stope.

A rotatable collar 26 is fitted upon the housing 12 near the base thereof, and an extension arm 27 is connected by hinge means 28 for vertical movement of said arm, thus permitting the end of said arm to define a vertical arc. By reason of the rotatability of collar 26 and the activation of hinge means 28, the extension arm is capable of omnidirectional movement.

The enlarged view of FIG. 3 shows the base pin 18 and prop legs 19, 19 resting against cross bar 17 at the rearward end of the jack leg 16; and in the enlarged view of FIG. 4, jack leg 16 is shown with base pin 18 inserted into socket 30. Sleeve 29 is shown disposed so that it may be secured in fixed position by pin 32 on extension arm 27; The prop legs (there may be two or more) may rest upon extension arm 27 or may be directed outwardly from said arm since they are not required for support of the jack leg when the base pin is secured within the socket provided for its accommodation.

While the assembly as shown in FIG. 4 places the socket above the sleeve 29, the latter may be rotated 90 or 180 so that the socket is at the side or below. When the extension arm 27 is raised into substantially vertical position, as indicated in FIG. 5, the jack leg 16 and the jack hammer are brought into close proximity to the wall of the housing. The hammer then may be hooked to the housing 12 by connecting handle 33 on the jack leg to clamp 34 on housing 12, and in this position the steel and bits in the hammer may be checked and, if necessary, replaced. lnasmuch as the jack hammer is conventional equipment and consequently not claimed as part of this invention, it is not shown in specific contour in the drawings, but only the handle and clamp means by which it is secured to the housing for convenient checking and servicing.

Slidably and rotatably connected to extension arm 27 is sleeve 29, having socket 30 rigidly and integrally connected thereto. Socket 30 accommodates the base pin (indicated by numeral 18 in FIG. 1) of the jack leg. The extension arm 27 is provided with at least two apertures 31 by which sleeve 29, having matching apertures, may be placed in fixed position on the extension arm and retained in such selected position by suitable means such as a pin, for advanced operation of the drill equipment without the necessity of moving the structure at every step of such advance.

While the drawings and the foregoing discussions of this invention indicate its use in vertical position, it may also be placed horizontally between two opposing rock faces. Extension of the piston as by means of com pressed air will create secure engagement with the stope walls of the piston tip at the one end and, at the opposite end, the frame of the structure of FIG. 1 or the base anchor point of the structure of FIG. 2.

As an alternative to connection of the jack leg to the single column housing near the base thereof, the connection may be moved to a point substantially midway of the housing or near the end thereof from which the piston protrudes, to facilitate drilling at various heights.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A brace support for rock drill apparatus having in combination a base frame and an anchoring bar integral with said base frame for the bracing against said bar of the base pin and related prop pins of a jack drill; and upwardly extending parallel arms connected to opposite sides of said frame, said arms being connected at the upper ends by a horizontal bar and said upwardly extending arms being of sufficient length to permit entry of the rearward end of a jack drill beneath the arch formed by said arms and said horizontal bar; and, integrally connected to said horizontal bar, a hollow housing having therewithin a controllably extensible member, said member being capable, upon expulsion from said housing, of creating oppositely directed compression of said base frame and the outer end of said extensible member against a pair of opposed surfaces; and means for the introduction into said hollow housing of pressure means for the expulsion therefrom of said extensible member.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston is caused to be extended by the application of pressure within said housing by the introduction into said housing of compressed air.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston is caused to be extended from said housing by hydraulic means.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston is caused to be extended from said housing by mechanical means.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said frame is supported upon multiple legs.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said frame is provided with a transverse member engageable between the base pin and at least two of the divergent prop legs at the rearward end of said rock drill apparatus.

7. The invention of claim 1 having connection means for the introduction of compression into said housing and other means for controlling the amount of pressure permitted to be so introduced.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston type member is caused to be securely anchored against said opposing rock walls, and wherein said member may be withdrawn from such anchorage and said piston retracted into said housing for relocation of said structure to another site. 

1. A brace support for rock drill apparatus having in combination a base frame and an anchoring bar integral with said base frame for the bracing against said bar of the base pin and related prop pins of a jack drill; and upwardly extending parallel arms connected to opposite sides of said frame, said arms being connected at the upper ends by a horizontal bar and said upwardly extending arms being of sufficient length to permit entry of the rearward end of a jack drill beneath the arch formed by said arms and said horizontal bar; and, integrally connected to said horizontal bar, a hollow housing having therewithin a controllably extensible member, said member being capable, upon expulsion from said housing, of creating oppositely directed compression of said base frame and the outer end of said extensible member against a pair of opposed surfaces; and means for the introduction into said hollow housing of pressure means for the expulsion therefrom of said extensible member.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston is caused to be extended by the application of pressure within said housing by the introduction into said housing of compressed air.
 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston is caused to be extended from said housing by hydraulic means.
 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston is caused to be extended from said housing by mechanical means.
 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said frame is supported upon multiple legs.
 6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said frame is provided with a transverse member engageable between the base pin and at least two of the divergent prop legs at the rearward end of said rock drill apparatus.
 7. The invention of claim 1 having connection means for the introduction of compression into said housing and other means for controlling the amount of pressure permitted to be so introduced.
 8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said piston type member is caused to be securely anchored against said opposing rock walls, and wherein said member may be withdrawn from such anchorage and said piston retracted into said housing for relocation of said structure to another site. 